Equity is a roguish thing: for law we have a measure, know what to trust to; equity is according to the conscience of him that is chancellor, and as that is larger or narrower, so is equity. 'Tis all one as if they should make the standard for measure we call a foot a chancellor's foot; what an uncertain measure would this be! One chancellor has a long foot, another a short foot, a third an indifferent foot. 'Tis the same in the chancellor's conscience.

17th Century. J Seldon, Table Talk quoted in MB Evans, RI Jack (Eds) Sources of English Legal and Constitutional History (Butterworths, 1984) 223-224.

Critically discuss this statement with reference to the intervention of equity in commercial matters